A Guide to Early Learning

Career and college readiness efforts frequently focus on ensuring high school students have the skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education or job training. However, the foundation of many skills needed for 21st-century jobs is established in the earliest years.

Early childhood education, particularly between ages 0-8, is essential for a child’s development of both cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Preparing our youngest students to learn provides a foundation for future success and helps them develop important skills such as self-discipline, persistence and cooperation–skills that are essential to their future success and a quality workforce.

• Eighty-five percent of brain growth occurs by the time a child is three.
• Participants in early childhood learning programs are 80 percent more likely to attend college.
• High quality early childhood education programs increase employability by 23 percent.
• Adults who attended early childhood programs earn 33 percent higher average salaries.

Florida’s global competitiveness depends on a quality education system, and for us, this commitment must begin early. Investing in high quality early learning can result in significant benefits.

Children Educated in Their First Years Are:

• 50 percent less likely to need special education,
• 70 percent less likely to be arrested for a violent crime, and
• 50 percent less likely to become teen parents.

Resources

• No Small Matter is a feature-length documentary film and national engagement campaign that brings public attention to this vital question by sharing powerful stories and stunning truths about the human capacity for early intelligence and the potential for quality early care and education to benefit America’s social and economic future
  • No Small Matter Documentary – Trailer

Early Learning Fast Facts on Child Language and Literacy Development Include Information on: 

• • Brain Development
  • Language and Early Literacy Development
  • Book Access for Children

• The State of Preschool 2017
  The State of Preschool Yearbook comparing each state program’s policies against a checklist of 10 research-based quality standards benchmarks – The National Institute for Early Education Research.
• 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook
  The 2017 Home Visiting Yearbook compiles key data on early childhood home visiting on the national and state levels.  Developed by the Urban Institute and James Bell Associates.
• The State of Preschool 2016
  The State of Preschool Yearbook comparing each state program’s policies against a checklist of 10 research-based quality standards benchmarks – The National Institute for Early Education Research.
• The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects
  Pre-Kindergarten Task Force of Interdisciplinary Scientists Support for the consensus work was provided to Brookings by the Heising-Simons Foundation and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. Support for the larger volume to Duke University was provided by SAS.
• Economist James J. Heckman: Early Education Packs a High Return on Investment
  Committee for Economic Development
• Five Numbers to Remember about Early Childhood Development
  Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University